Muzzle clampend device for twin barreled artillery piece



J. F. SCAVINI Sept. 9, 1958 MUVZZLE CLAMP END DEVICE FOR TWIN BARRELEDARTILLERY PIECE Filed April 4. 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTO R JEANFRANCOIS, SCAVINI BY C?0/W1W7L, mm VMW/ ATTORNEYS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR ATTORNEYS J. F. SCAVINI Sept. 9, 1958 MUZZLE CLAMP END DEVICEFOR TWIN BARREL-ED ARTILLERY PIECE Filed April 4. 1195s Fig.3 11

United States Patent q MU ZZLE CLAMPEND DEVICE FOR TWIN BARRELED-ARTILLERY PIECE Jean Francois Scavini, Asnieres, France, assignor toSociete des Forges et Ateliers du Creusot, Paris, France ApplicationApril 4,1956, Serial No. 576,125

5 3 Claims. (CI. 89-14) This invention relates to improvementsinartillery pieces-comprising two identical twin barrels of not in- 1considerable length, and fixed to a common sleeve in v and the returnto'the firing position is quicker, which in automatic artillery piecespermits the increase of the rate of firing.

The two barrels may be arranged one by the side of the other or oneabove the other. In order to make things clear, the principle of theinvention will be explained on the assumption that the two barrels arearranged'side by side and it will be understood that it appliesialso tothe other case.

In this type of gun, where in order to allow the gun j v to be aimed avertical pivot is arranged at equal distances from the axes of thebarrels, an importantdilficulty has hitherto been encountered. Since thetwo barrels fire in fact one after the other, the assembly of thebarrels has a tendency to swing to one side or the other depending onwhich barrel is being fired.

Fromthis a deviation of the directionof firing from each -b arrelresults, a phenomenon which hitherto has not been inves'tigated, itseeming logical to believe that, when firing, the shot from the rightgun would be deflected towards the right owing to a very weak partialrotation about the pivot and to the resiliency of the mounting, and theshot from the left gun would be deflected towards the left.

Thorough investigations have been able to show that on the contrary, ifthe barrels are not of a short length, the one on the right side has itsshot deflected towards the left and vice versa.

The deviation in the sense opposite to what had been expected isprobably due to a flexure of the barrels at the moment of the shot. Theeifect of this flexure is combined with that of the partial rotation,but in the opposite sense.

According to the invention the total deviation can be reduced to zero bya reduction of the flexibility of the barrels in such a manner that thisflexibility has only the efiect of compensating the partial rotationabout the pivot. In this design a muzzle clamp is provided whichconnects the two barrels at their muzzles or at regions closely adjacentto their muzzles, the barrels being fitted into the muzzle clamp and thelatter being practically indeformable.

When the two barrels are arranged one above the other, the deviationsmanifest themselves with respect to the horizontal axis for thedeviation of the guns, i. e.

the axis of the trunnions, and would affect not the dibarrels 1 and 2rection of the shots, but their height. The means proposed according tothe invention for abolishing them would be exactly the same.

The invention will now be described in more detail with reference toparticular embodiments given by wayof example and illustrated in thedrawings.

Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 relate to an embodiment where the two barrels arearranged side by side,

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic horizontal section on the plane of the axesof the barrels of a twin-barrelled gun comprising the improvementsaccording to the invention,

Figure 2 is a view in elevation and partly in section on the line IIIIof Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a section on the line III-III of Figure 2,;

Figure 4 is a section on the line IVIV of Figure 3,

Figure 5 shows a modification, the invention being here applied to anembodiment wherein the two barrels are arranged one above the other. 7 a

The gun illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 comprises two having a commonsleeve or breech member 3.

The two barrels recoil simultaneously upon a cradle 4 (shown in chaindotted lines).

The two barrels may on the other hand swing upwardly or downwardly aboutthe trunnions 5, and the.

assembly may turn about the vertical pivot 6.

As will be seen in Figure l, the pivot 6 is situated at.

equal distances from the axes of the barrels 1 and 2.

Figure 1 shows that, when one barrel only fires, the: assembly of thetwo barrels has a tendency to turn towards the side on which is the gunwhich has been fired.

. absence of the improvements according to, the invention,overcompensated by "the flexure of the barrels.

According to the invention a muzzle clamp 7 is provided which reducesthis flexure.

clamp, there is no longer any deviation of the shot.

Figures 3 and 4 show a particular embodimentof the muzzle clamp 7.

This muzzle clamp may in fact be a single piece pro-' vided simply withclamping means tokeep it inplace.

However, as shown in the drawing, a device for adjust-g ing the span ofthe muzzle clamp may be provided, in

order to make it possible for example to rectify errors of machining, orto correct the parallelism of the barrels, or, by a slightpre-deformation to perfect the parallelism of their shots, notably whenit has been disturbed by an external cause, for example by a deficientfunctioning of the remote control system.

The muzzle clamp illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 comprises two parts orsleeves 8 and 9 in which the barrels 1 and 2 are fitted.

These parts are connected to one another by bolts 10 each of which hasan eccentric portion 11. This portion 11 passes through a tail piece orshoulder 12 integral with part 9 of the muzzle clamp, whereas thenon-eccentrical portions 13 of the bolts 10, disposed in the rings 14,pass through the portions or shoulders 15 of part 8 of the muzzle clamp.

Nuts 16 allow the rotary position ofthe bolts 10 to be fixed.

In addition a wedge 17 may be provided which is placed between the tailpiece 12 of part 9 of the muzzle clamp and part 8 of the muzzle clamp.This wedge 17 fixes definitely the total span of the muzzle clamp.

The housing of the muzzles 1 and 2 in the muzzle clamp is attained, asregards the embodiment repre- Patented Sept. 9, 1958' The deviation dueto this rotation is, in the.

3 sented in Figures 3- and 4, by the support of two abutments on themuzzle of the gun.

The parts 8 and 9 abut on the ends 18 and 19 of the muzzles, and thesleeves 20 and 21 slidably mounted on these muzzles are screwed by means.ofscrewv threads 22' and 231into the parts.8.. and 9'. Thesleeves 20.and 21 abut on shoulders constituted. byyrings: 24 and 25 eachconsisting of two. halves. The rings 24 and 25 arelodged incorresponding grooves in-thebarrels.

The fitting of; the muzzle .cla-mp in place i veryteasy; it sufiices toengage the. parts. Sand 9-.on the muzzles separately from one another,thento: screw into the parts 8. and 9 the sleeves-2.0 and 2-1 whichhavebeen previously fitted onv the muzzles.

The. assembly can be. carried out easily owing to the notches 26 and 27provided at the back of the sleeves.

Inthe. course of-':the assembly.v the parts 8' and 9..abut on the ends18 and 19 of the barrels, and thesleeves 20 and.2'1. abut onthe ringsHand 25 which can be easily fitted before the engagementlot the parts 8'and 9 of the muzzle clamp, since they consist ofi two halves.

The parts 8 and 9- of the muzzle clamp can thenbe connected to oneanotherbyfitting the bolts 10 and the rings 14.

When the adjustments have been made, it sufficesto fit the wedge 17 in amanner corresponding to the-adjustment in order-- to fix definitely theposition of the muzzle clamp.

As will be seen in Figure 3, the parts 8' and 9 of the muzzle clamp andthe sleeves 2 and 2 1 are in contact with the muzzles of the barrels onwhich they slide with ubr rie o hi e. bein mu ht sto. os pn- Th n xse lnt siqs Q he ba n h muzzle clamp is attained.

Figure illustrates a modification concerning thecase Where two barrels28 and 29 are arranged one above alternately firing twinidenticalbarrels mounted for h other, e. Rive xi P rpend ul o ane at the axes oithe. barrels, i. e, here the trunnion 30, being atequal distances fromthebarrelazes.

The deviations of aim which areab Iished owingto the. invention are;here vertical deviations. This is attained by means; of a muzzle clamp31 analogous to the. muzzle clamp 7 described with reference to Figures1 and 2.

I wi l e nderst d h t e inven io is 1 m e to the embodiments describedhereinabove, and details thereof may, be modified without departing fromthe ope f. the nv n n. pat iwl h mounti qt he'mu z e. c am m y make u eo sc ew h ds] recfly u nt he arrels.

simultaneous recoil in acommonhreech member mounted on trunnions forelevation of the barrels, a ring mounted around and adjacent the muzzleof one of said barrels, a sleeve mounted on said barrel and bearing onthe end otsaid bar-rel; means; engaging .said. sleeve. and: bearingOnLsaid ring atradially and axiallyextendingshouldersaid .sleever'a.second ringmounted. around andadjacent the.v muzzle ofathe. second .ofsaid barrels, a second .sleeve mqunted on saidsecond barrel and bearingon .theend of said second barrel, second means engaging saidseQ0nd-s1eeveand bearing .on said second ring,

spaced parallel shouldersion.saidsecondsleeve. receivingbet-weenathemisaid firste shoulder and means for locking saidshoulders-togethen 3. A muzzle. clamp. as-described inclaim 2--in whichsaid locking-means include bolts.- passing through said-- shoulders andeccentric portions on. said bolts'engaging" said first shoulder,notationiof said bolts adjustably spac ing and locking said slevestogether.

B teren es teslzi i he fi e-Q15.- s te t-

